New Frontier
by Sway1984
Summary: The squad heads for the pub to celebrate the outcome of Travis' case. There is alcohol. There is dancing. One thing leads to another.
1. Chapter 1

"I need a drink." Wanda pushed herself off the sofa, using Lewis' knee for leverage. "Anyone wanna join me at the pub? First round's on me."

A whoop of excitement went around the room. Only Marti rolled her eyes. "Mom..."

"What?" Her mother propped her hands on her hips. "We've got something to celebrate, right? It's Travis' first night out. That calls for a nice cold beer."

"Hate to break to you," Travis looked from Wanda to Marti, a grin on his face, "but your mom is right."

"I'll catch up with you guys later. I'll drive Charlotte home first." Savannah took her sister's guitar.

"Drive safe, dear." Wanda gave Charlotte a careful hug. When the two girls had left, she turned to Julian. "Are you coming, too, professor?"

"I have a class in the morning," he said as he put his guitar into its case. "So does your daughter, by the way."

"Geez, thanks for ratting me out to my mother," Marti protested but had to break out into a smile when she saw her teacher's smirk. "One drink? It's on the house. And it's your victory, too."

Julian's shoulders sagged in defeat. "Seems like the perseverance runs in the family. Alright. Let me just put this away." He pointed at the instrument. "And I'll meet you there."

"But don't you dare bail out on us," Wanda waggled a finger at him.

"Can we not use the word bail tonight?" Travis interjected.

"Sorry, hun. Come on, I'll make it up to you." Marti's mother hooked her arm into Travis' as they left.

"See you in a few, professor." Marti beamed at Julian and couldn't help feeling even more victorious when she saw the light blush creeping onto his cheeks.

###

There were only a few patrons at the pub when half the Hellcats squad bustled in. Wanda immediately took up her spot behind the bar and handed out the promised drinks, much to the dismay of the girl who was on bar duty tonight.

"So this is what you college kids do after class."

Marti flinched at the sound of Julian's voice behind her. She turned to see him taking in his surroundings as if this was his first time to a pub. "When we're not single-highhandedly taking down the head of the athletics department." She tilted her head, eyeing him. "When's the last time you've been to a bar?"

He hesitated for a moment, shrugging with one shoulder. "Our meeting the other day aside... it's been a while. The scene hasn't changed much, though."

"The scene?" Marti raised her eyebrows at him, snorting a little laugh. "Let's get you a drink, professor."

#

Lewis had whisked Marti away to dance to some 70s classic rock tune from the jukebox. They even did a little routine which fit surprisingly well.

Julian couldn't help but watch. It was too enticing not to. Seeing his student shaking her... he took a sip from his beer, trying to focus on something else. Something that was a little less against university policy, or against what he used to think was his moral code.

"Water, please," Marti panted, practically crashing into the bar next to him. She took a long gulp from the glass the girl at the bar put in front of her. "You don't look like you're enjoying yourself, professor."

"I am, " he half-lied. "Although I think your mother was trying to come on to me."

Marti laughed. "If it makes you feel any better, she usually doesn't hit on law school graduates."

He looked at her, corner of his mouth quirking into a smile. "I try to take that as a compliment."

"I was meant as one." She finished her beverage. "So, uhm... would I completely overstep the teacher-student-boundaries if I ask you to dance with me?"

Julian almost choked on his beer. "Miss Perkins, I don't hug. What makes you think that I dance?"

"Or...," she ignored his questions, "I could tell my mother that you'd like another drink and want to know all about that one time..."

"Alright." He slipped off his stool, sighing theatrically. "Just don't assume this will get you a better grade."

She grinned her broadest grin. "Depends on how good this dance is going to be." She reached for his hand and practically dragged him after her to the dance floor.

If on purpose or by coincidence, the jukebox started playing a Southern rock song with a heavy guitar rhythm and a driving drum beat.

Marti wrapped one arm around Julian's neck, the fingers of her other hand slipped between his.

"You don't dance much, do you?" She looked up at him, spotting his discomfort.

"I know laws and paragraphs. That's what I'm good at." He shifted from one foot to the other in a stiff-legged dance step. "I leave the fancy routines to those who know what they are doing."

"You don't need fancy routines, just..." Marti brushed an unruly strand of hair from her face. "Alright, you like music, right? You know what it feels like when you play guitar, when the music's getting into you. Just... listen to that rhythm. Let it...," she cleared her throat, "seep into you. The moves will come to you."

He looked down at her for a long moment and as the song went on, the air around them seemed to tighten. As did his grip on her hand. His arm snaked around her waist, pulling her closer against him.

If her squad members were looking, if her mom was rolling her eyes at her, Marti didn't care. All she cared about was the incredibly warm hand in the small of her back, the beat of the music thrumming through her body and her professor's dark eyes boring into hers. She could feel the heat radiating off his body, smell his cologne.

They swayed to the music, letting the rhythm guide their steps.

She let go of his hand and wrapped the arm around his neck, bringing their bodies even closer together, her knee slowly inching between his legs.

Julian's now free hand went to her hip, fingers gently digging into her flesh.

This should be weird. It should be awkward. She was dancing with her teacher of all people. And not just little ballroom number at a function or fundraiser. This was something else entirely. This was heated, sweaty and even a little dirty. And it was good.

Marti all but flinched when someone changed the song on the jukebox to an upbeat and obnoxious pop song.

They remained like that for a long moment before Julian practically tore himself away from her, bringing half a step of distance between them. He cleared his throat, shifting from one leg to the other. "I should go," he said, his voice sounding a little strained. "I still have to prepare tomorrow's class."

Without waiting for her answer, he turned on his heel, went to grab his jacket off the bar stool and left the pub.

For a moment, all Marti could do was stand there, dumbstruck, staring after him. Then she followed him.

#

"Julian, wait." She caught up with him at his car, a burgundy, slightly banged-up pick-up truck.

He was about to unlock the driver's door and stopped with his hand on the door handle, shoulders sagging with a frustrated sigh.

"Look... I'm sorry," Marti began. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Julian laughed a wry little laugh. "Believe me, Miss Perkins. My... discomfort is not the problem."

She looked at him, or rather at his back, until it dawned on her what he was he talking about. Heat erupted on her cheeks. "I'm... I shouldn't have pushed you into this. I overstepped the bounds. I'm sorry."

"Marti, do us a favor...," he turned around to her, leaning against the door of the truck, "stop apologizing."

"Sorry." As soon as she said it, she winced, raising her hands in defense.

A beat passed between them in uncomfortable silence.

"So...," Marti started in an attempt to break the tension. "Nice car. I always thought you were more of an... eco-friendly type, not smoke-blowing vintage."

"That should teach you not to make assumptions." A smirk quirked his mouth. "It is, in fact, my very first car. Only runs six out of ten times but... it gets me places."

"Old-school...," she nodded in appreciation and sauntered over to the truck, peeking onto the flatbed before leaning against the side of the car. "I like that."

Julian's smirk turned into a full-fledged grin. ""It's also the reason I was late for my first case in court." He gave her pointed look.

"You were held in contempt, I presume."

"Case got dismissed ten minutes in."

"Bummer."

"You could say that."

Marti shifted from one leg to the other, stashing her hands deep into her pockets. "Listen, I... I haven't thanked you yet for... well, giving us this chance. It was a pretty long shot, especially getting Bill Marsh to resign. It really means a lot to me. And the squad."

He looked at her for a moment. "You are one of my best students, Marti. That you'd be willing to take up cheerleading of all things to get your law degree...," he paused, obviously trying to recollect his thoughts. "I'd hate to loose someone who has that kind of passion for the cause."

She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again. On her second try, she was able to speak. "I don't how to respond to that."

He grinned at her. "Then don't." Another moment passed. "I... really should get going."

"Right... the class." Before she even knew what she was doing, she breached the gap between and pulled him into a quick hug, placing a hurried peck on his cheek.

Much to her surprise, his hand closed around her bicep, keeping her from pulling back. "I told you I'm not a hugger."

His voice was impossibly low, vibrating against her ear. He stood impossibly close to her, warm body brushing up against hers. She could smell the cologne on his neck, the beer on his breath.

When she spoke, her voice shook more than she liked to. "You also said you weren't a dancer." She swallowed hard, channeling all the sassiness she could come up with. "We _danced_."

She looked up at him, his darkened eyes boring into hers and for a second, she wasn't even sure who or were she was.

And then she kissed him.

Their lips were merely brushing together, the touch so brief, it didn't even leave a taste.

Marti pulled back from him as much as his grip on her arm allowed her to. He looked at her with an almost unreadable expression. What she icould/i read in his eyes was...

She couldn't finish her thought as he shoved her with her back against the side of the truck, his body pinning her against the vehicle.

They lingered like that for a moment, with only an inch of space between them until she understood what he was doing.

He was waiting. Waiting for her to make a move, to make the decision for them. She had already made it.

The kiss deepened quickly, and slowed down at the same time.

At the first touch of his tongue against hers, a little jolt ran down her spine and she moaned into his mouth, body becoming pliant almost immediately. She tilted her head to the side, changing their angle. His hand went into her hair, the other snaked around her back to pull her even closer.

Marti broke the kiss first, drawing in a breath. "What... is going on here?"

Julian gave her a half-shrug and his trademark smirk. "We dance."

###

Sitting in a car had never made Marti so nervous. Okay, so maybe her first driving test or that one time in Dan's backseat had come close but... this was different.

Her entire body was tingling with anticipation and she constantly shifted in her seat. She didn't even dare to turn her head and look at her professor.

After a few more heated kisses and hastily exploring gropes, they had decided that the parking lot of the pub (where her friends and her mother were still celebrating their victory) wasn't the best place to... make out. The mere thought of "making out" with her professor sent a chill down her spine.

Whatever was going to happen, it was awkward and wrong in so many ways and yet, Marti couldn't bring herself to care. If anything, she was excited, even a little giddy about it.

Their kisses had been nothing like the ones she'd had with Lewis or Dan or any guy in her recent past. It was nothing like the awkward fumbles in the cramped backseat or the hidden smooches in the side corridor of Cheertown.

This was something else, something... mature.

Julian pulled the car up to the curb in front of his house, got out and went to open the door for her.

She followed him to the house and he had already unlocked the door and gone inside when she stopped.

He turned around to her, eyebrows raised. But he didn't say anything, waiting.

Marti shifted uneasily, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. She focused on a very interesting spot on the door frame. "Look, before we... before anything happens here... I just want you to know that this isn't about... gratitude or... taking advantage."

"I never thought it was." He looked at her for a moment, a smile ghosting over his face. "Marti, if you want to go home, I'll take you home. If you want to come in..." He opened the door even further, making his point.

She couldn't help but smile at that, grateful that he, yet again, gave her the choice. Whatever was going to happen, she would be the one calling the shots. A liberating and exhilarating feeling, to say the least.

She breached the gap between them, planting a brief kiss on his lips. When she pulled back from him, he grinned that all too disarming grin at her. His hand closed on the lapel of her jacket and he pulled her inside, door clicking shut behind them.


	2. Chapter 2

"So this is the kind of place my tuition pays for." Marti had the hands stashed in her back pockets, taking a look around Julian's living room.

The short hallway led into the kitchen on the right, into the living-room on the left. A battered leather couch faced a television set, the walls were lined with book shelves filled to the brim. A desk occupied one corner of the room, its surface barely visible under piles of case files and text books. Behind the small dining table on the far side of the room, she spotted the tell-tale neck of a Fender guitar.

Somehow this place reminded her of her mother's home only way more upscale.

She wandered over to one of the shelves that contained a wide collection of DVDs. As she scanned the titles, she couldn't help but grin.

The top shelf held the entire Star Trek collection, the classic TV show as well as the movies.

"Are you complaining about my living arrangements?" Julian leaned against the door frame, a glass of wine in each hand.

"Not at all. It's got a nice... vibe to it." She made a vague gesture with hands which Savannah had once referred to as 'spirit fingers'.

"Thanks." He handed her one of the glasses, then took a sip off his.

"There is one thing though..." Marti quirked an eyebrow.

"And what's that?"

She pointed at the DVD shelf. "You're a geek."

"You got me there." He smirked at her. "And yet, I can't believe that only you and Harry Potter caught that."

"Have you _seen_ the other guys in class?"

"I was one of them once," he countered, the glint in his eyes betraying him.

"Right... sorry." Marti tried to hide her blush by taking a sip from her wine. "And actually... it was just Morgan. I had no idea what he was talking about."

Julian's eyebrows went up. "Really? In that case I'm not sure if I should keep you on this project any longer."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't," Marti paused to look at him, trying to figure out if he was serious. "Given that we just made out on a campus parking lot."

"And in the hall," he added with a mischievous grin.

"And in the hall." She ran a hand through her hair, turning away from him, away from that grin and that sparkle in his eyes. "Geez, this is awkward."

With a long exhale, Julian leaned against the desk. He put the glass down next to him, crossing his arms over his chest in a somewhat defiant gesture. "Marti, i_nothing/i_ has to happen here."

"It's a little too late for that." Marti slumped down on the edge of the sofa, her tone more aggressive than she had intended. "Look, with the last two guys I've been with, it's been... kind of a spur of a moment thing. People got hurt and... I almost lost my two best friends. I don't want anything like that to happen again just because I rushed headfirst into... whatever this is."

She paused but he didn't say anything. He just looked at her from across the room, waiting patiently for her to get to the point of her ramble.

"So... no matter if... what happens... can we have the awkward morning after talk... before?"

A little smile quirked his mouth. "The what now?"

"You know what I mean. The talk where I tell you that I'm not expecting any favors just because we...," she gestured back and forth between them.

He nodded in understanding. "And I suppose that's when I tell you that I won't be taking advantage of our student-teacher-relationship."

"That's how these things are usually done... I guess."

Julian pushed himself off the desk and sauntered over to her. "If you want me to promise you that things might not get... awkward... I won't do that." He shrugged. "I can't."

"Right." Marti nodded, absently twisting the wine glass in her fingers. She didn't dare look up at him.

"I told you this already. If you want to go home, go home. If you want to stay..."

"I can stay, I know," she cut him off. "Damn, why do you have to be so rational and grown-up?"

His eyebrow and the corner of his mouth quirked in unison and he shrugged. "It's what I'm good at."

Marti snorted a laugh. "You know, if you are like this in court..."

"Like what?"

This time, she did look up at him and almost forgot what she had meant to say. "Oblivious," she replied finally. "About the effect you have on people."

He lowered his gaze. "Guess that makes two of us."

She ignored him. "I mean, you've got the looks and the words and that accent and yet you manage to be so painfully awkward."

Julian took half a step back from her. "So this is my fault now?"

"Yes. No. I'm sorry. I'm just nervous, I guess. I've never done this before. With a teacher, I mean." Marti felt heat rise into her cheeks, suddenly very sure that she should have gone home.

"If it makes you feel any better, neither have I," he admitted. "With a student." His hand closed around her wrist and he pulled her to her feet. "I won't make promises about a couple of hours from now but I can promise you that none of what happens in between is going to be awkward."

His arm snaked around her waist and he pulled her flush against him.

Marti looked up at him but had to bury a grin against his shoulder. "A couple of hours?"

He pursed his lips in mock offense. "How old do you think I am?"

She chose not to answer. "So you _are_ going to seduce me then?"

"If that puts an end to this conversation, yes."

She let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god."

For a moment, Julian looked at her. "You sure?"

She met his gaze steadily. And then she nodded. "Yes."

Smirking at her, he took the wine glass from her hand to put it on the coffee table. "Glad we've got that settled." He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Now... shall we pick up where we left off?"

Marti grinned. "Let's shall."

###

They hit the mattress in a tangle of limbs and half-shed clothing.

Marti's leather jacket lay in a heap on the floor halfway to the bedroom and Julian's shirt dangled from the doorknob.

His hand slipped underneath her shirt, fingers curling against her skin. Breaking away from her lips, he trailed a series of open-mouthed kisses down the side of her neck.

She arched into the touch, one leg wrapped around his hips, hands roaming over his back, drawing him closer.

When he pulled back from her, she arched an eyebrow at him but his only response was a little leer halfway between naughty and nice. Then he reached for her hand and pulled her to her feet again.

Their kiss was slow and deep, and Marti all but melted into him.

This constant change of pace, from hectic groping to drawn-out kisses and caresses, was unnerving and enticing at the same time. With any other guy, they would have been halfway done by now but with him... Leave it to older men to know what they were doing. Marti couldn't help but grin against his mouth at the thought.

Whether or not Julian had noticed her smile, he pushed her half a step away, reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, blonde curls spilling over naked shoulders.

She plopped down on the bed again, weight supported on her elbows, and looked up at him. There it was again, the little leer she couldn't place.

Going down on one knee, he reached for her foot to unzip her boot. As the shoes and socks had come off, she dug her naked toes into the plush carpet.

He panther-crawled up her body, drawing her into another kiss. Her arms immediately went around his neck again but he pulled out of the embrace, pinning her wrists to the mattress. He licked and nibbled his way down her neck, dipping his tongue into the hollow of her throat, trailing down between her breasts to her navel.

There he stopped, looking first at the piercing, then up at her, one eyebrow raised. "A little angel?" He fought hard to keep from grinning, corners of his mouth twitching. "Really?"

She matched his expression. "Had I known the outcome of this night, I would have picked something else."

As a response, he dove down to dip his tongue into her navel, sucking the little stainless steel angel into his mouth, gently playing with it.

Marti chuckled. "I take it, you don't mind so much?"

He looked up at her, grinning. "Not particularly." Still smiling against her skin, he continued his way down her stomach until he reached the hem of her jeans. With quick fingers, he unbuckled her belt and she lifted her hips off the mattress to help him pull the pants of her legs.

Sitting back up, she reached for his belt, pulled him next to her on the bed and slipped into his lap.

His hands closed on her hips and he pulled her closer against him, fingers ever so slightly slipping beneath her panties.

This time, she kissed him, hard, taking charge. Her hands went into his hair, fingernails gently raking at his scalp. When they broke apart, she leaned her forehead against his, catching her breath.

"Where's your bathroom?" She murmured against this mouth.

He had to swallow before he answered, pointing out the bedroom door. "Across the hall."

She disentangled herself from him, rising to her feet. She looked at him for a moment longer before padding over into the bathroom.

"And by the way," Julian called after her, "medicine cabinet, top shelf."

"Got it," Marti replied before kicking the door shut behind her.

With a sigh, she leaned against the sink. All of a sudden, she felt way more nervous than she should. She wanted this, and she wanted even more, but just for a second, she was painfully aware of what was about to happen. And despite the anxiety, she couldn't help the giddy grin that started spreading on her face as she looked up into the mirror. Then she opened the medicine cabinet and reached for the box of condoms on the top shelf.

When she returned to the bedroom, Julian had already kicked off his shoes and had stripped out of his socks and pants. "Second thoughts?" he asked.

"Not one." She held up the box. "I was just wondering if you'd be naked if I turned again."

His eyebrow went up. "Try me."

"And miss the show? No way."

His smirk turned into a full-fledged grin. "Come here."

"Why, professor. You're turning bossy all of a sudden?" Again, she slid into his lap, planting a long kiss on his mouth.

When he pulled back from her, his eyes had darkened and that little leer had turned into a naughty one. "By the way, you're free to cheer at any time."

She laughed at that. "Then give me something to cheer about."

He didn't reply but cupped her face and kissed her. Gentle at first, then the kiss deepened, became more heated. He teased her tongue with his, eliciting a little moan when he bit her lip.

Slowly, his hands traveled south, brushing the straps of her bra off her shoulders, following the path of his fingers with his mouth.

She arched her back, giving into the touch. A shiver ran down her spine when he unhooked the clasp and peeled the lacy garment off of her. The breath hitched in her throat as he sucked one of her nipples into his mouth, circling the hardened bud with the tip of his tongue.

He continued his ministrations on her other breast and she leaned back into his arms to give him better access. At the same time, she let her hand slip between their bodies and beneath the waistband of his boxers. He hissed against her skin, biting down ever so slightly on her nipple, as her finger closed around him.

With one arm around her waist, he flipped her on her back and hooked her leg over his hips, trapping her hand between them.

In retrospect, Marti couldn't remember how the rest of their underwear had come off or why she would find her panties beneath the bed the following morning. Right now, it certainly didn't matter.

All that mattered were Julian's hands roaming over her body, finding some of her sweet spots along the way, before his fingers expertly dipped between her legs. Her eyes flickered shut and her head fell back, exposing her throat to his mouth.

She reached for the box of condoms she had off-handedly tossed on the bed and fumbled one of the little tinfoil packages out.

"I believe this is yours." She pressed the package into his hand, grinning cheekily around a tiny wave of insecurity and uncertainty. It didn't help that his gaze was fixed on her the entire time while he put on the condom and carefully positioned himself between her thighs.

Her eyes rolled back in her head and she let out a long breath as he gently pushed into her. She drew up her knees and wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him even closer.

"You okay?" he asked, breathing a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

She only nodded, fingers digging into his shoulders, back arching off the bed to meet his slow thrusts.

He set a relaxed, languid place, letting her adjust, while trailing a series of open-mouthed kisses down her neck, lips closing over her pulse.

Marti's fingers curled into the hair in the back of Julian's neck, pulling him into a long, deep kiss, then she used one leg as leverage and flipped him on his back without ever loosing contact.

Her mouth fell open when she sat up in his lap and felt him push even deeper into her.

One of his hands closed on her thigh, holding her steady, while the other went up to cup her cheek. He ran his thumb over her bottom lip and she could taste herself on his finger.

Her head fell back as his hand trailed down her body, between her breasts, over the plain of her stomach and between their bodies.

She began to ride him slowly, grabbing his wrist to hold his hand in position, at exactly the right spot. With the other hand, she supported her weight on his chest, rising to her knees before sinking down on him again.

He matched her rhythm, thrusting up into her. His free hand went into the back of her neck again and he pulled her into another kiss.

Marti knew she wouldn't last much longer. Which was a rare thing at best.

But with him inside her, his hands on her... he knew exactly what he was doing, how to drive her over the edge.

She could feel the heat pool in the pit of her stomach, spreading throughout her body. Her pace quickened and she rode him harder, seeking friction against him.

They kisses again, most frantic this time, fighting for the upper hand.

She moaned into his mouth, almost biting his tongue as she came. She shuddered against him, fingers digging hard into his flesh, and with every move she made another tiny tremor ran through her body.

With an almost guttural growl, he clutched her tightly against him, rolling her onto her back again. Her legs wrapped high around his waist, he pushed into her with short, quick thrusts. He came with his head buried against her shoulder, his breath hot on her skin.

She held on to him, hands running nonsense patterns over his back.

Only slowly did he manage to push himself up on his hands again, looking down at her with slightly dazed eyes. Nodding at his wordless question, she pulled him into another kiss, this one slow, almost tired.

Carefully, he pulled out of her and she whimpered at the loss of contact, at the sudden emptiness inside of her. A little shiver went up her spine as she crossed her legs, the aftershock making her back of arch off the bed.

Julian pressed a quick peck to her mouth. "I'll be right back." With an exhausted groan, he rose from the bed and padded into the bathroom.

Marti cleared her throat before she could speak. "Hey, can you get me a drink?"

"Wine or water?"

"Or both."

He peered into the bedroom, shooting her a cheeky grin. He returned from the kitchen with a bottle of water and the rest of their wine. Stopping in the door, he raised an eyebrow in question. "See anything you like?"

She matched his grin before bursting into laughter. "I was just thinking how much more interesting your classes would be if you held them like this."

He looked down his naked body. "Really? And I thought the words and the accent were enough."

Shrugging with one shoulder, she took the water from him. "They did work on me."

He sat down next to her again, taking a sip from his wine. "Told you it wasn't going to be awkward." He shot a glance over his shoulder at her.

Marti held two fingers an inch apart. "A little awkward maybe."

"We got past that, though," he shot back, waggling his eyebrows at her.

"You also promised me hours of it," she replied, tongue in cheek.

He nodded in appreciation. He downed the rest of his wine, then leaned into kiss her again. "Give me five minutes."


	3. Chapter 3

Marti awoke to the obnoxious sound of an alarm clock that wasn't hers.

It took her a moment realize where she was, that this wasn't her dorm room at Cheertown but the bedroom of her law professor.

"Oh shit." She slapped a hand over her eyes, trying to shield her senses not only from the sunlight pouring in through the shades but also against the realization of what had happened last night.

A look around her confirmed that she was alone in bed, the alarm clock beeping on the bedside table to her left.

Next to it stood a thermos coffee mug, a plain bagel on top of it and an index card, reading in hurried, jagged hand-writing:

_"Don't be late for class."_

Rolling her eyes at the message, she pushed the mug to the side to switch off the alarm.

Her mouth fell open. "That bastard."

It was 8.30am. Her class started at 9.

In a flash, Marti was on her feet, frantically searching for her clothes. She found most of it piled neatly on a chair in the corner. Making a quick run to the bathroom, she got dressed and pulled her hair into a loose bun.

Then she took a sip from the coffee – a good one, too – and hurried out the door, bagel in hand. To her surprise, she found her bike leaning against the small wall in the front yard.

She couldn't help but smile at that. "Nice going, professor," she said to herself. "Still a bastard, though."

###

She made it to class a little after nine and as usual, every head turned to her including Julian's, his poker face flawless.

"Miss Perkins," he said, eyebrow raised. "Just because you've succeeded in the case, doesn't mean you can come in whenever you please."

Marti felt the heat creep into your cheeks. "I'm sorry." She shot him a pointed look. "My alarm didn't go off."

"Don't make up excuses," he replied, his tone bored. "Just have a seat."

Julian had been right. The night before hadn't been awkward.

Sitting through in his class the morning after, however, was awkward. To say the least.

Marti couldn't keep focused on the subject, interesting as it might be. Whenever she put her pen down, which she had to borrow from the girl next to her, her mind kept drifting back to...

A shiver ran down her spine and she closed her eyes against the sensation, trying not think about his hands on her body, about his lips kissing and nibbling on every possible (and impossible) place, about his voice trickling down her senses. That same voice that was just reciting some paragraph or another, sounding just as sexy.

"Miss Perkins, I'd like to talk to you for a moment," she heard him say as the class was over and she tried to cover the fact she had no papers to pack up by purposely trailing behind.

"Sure," she nodded, waiting for her classmates to mill out.

"So..."

"So...," she mimicked his tone. "You could have set the alarm a little earlier."

"And where's the fun in that?" He smirked at her, packing up his files.

"You did this on purpose?" she asked incredulously.

"Of course."

"Why?"

Julian sat down on the edge of his desk. "Two reason. First of, I go on a five mile run every morning, so I get up at 5.30am and I didn't want to wake you. And second, I wanted to avoid the... awkward morning after talk where we try to figure out who gets to shower first and how we'd get to class without arousing suspicion."

"Right," Marti nodded. "That's very... considerate." She brushed an unruly strand of hair behind her ear, slowly sauntering down the steps of the lecture hall.

A beat passed between them.

"Are you okay?" he asked, tilting his head to give her a scrutinizing look.

"Yeah, it's just...," her shoulders sagged with a sigh. "I guess there is no way around the awkwardness no matter when we have this conversation."

"I suppose not." He smoothed a hand over his tie in a slightly nervous gesture.

"So... we do have to talk about it after all." She leaned against one of the tables in the front row, trying her best to appear nonchalant when she already felt the air around them tighten.

Julian drew in a long breath, crossing his arms over his chest. "Marti, I know this is what we've been trying to avoid, so before we leap into a discussion about how it was a mistake etc., let me just say this. I don't regret what happened last night. And I hope that you don't either. In fact, I wouldn't particularly mind if this didn't remain a one time thing. But I understand how this is strange and confusing, so whatever you decide, I'm fine with it."

She looked at him for a long moment. "You did practice this one your run, didn't you?"

"Yes." He couldn't help but grin. "It was a bit declamatory, wasn't it?"

"Just a little." She matched his smile. Heaving a little dramatic sigh, she pushed herself off the table and made a step towards him. "Listen, I... I don't regret what happened either but... it _is_ strange and confusing and I'd like to think about it some more before I make any... decisions."

"Of course." He breached the distance between them, fingers playing haphazardly with the hem of her jacket. "If you want to talk about it... or anything else... you can come by my place any time."

She looked up at him, mouth quirking into a cheeky grin. "Really?"

"Really." His hand slipped around her waist to the small of her back, pulling her against him. "Just not tonight."

"Got another peppy co ed coming over?"

"Two, actually." After a beat, he broke out into a grin. "I have a faculty meeting."

"Right." She looked at him for a long moment, before she got on tiptoes and pressed a long kiss to his mouth. Slowly, she pulled back from him, straightening her clothes. "I gotta go. Practice starts in half an hour and I rather not have a walk of shame with two dozen cheerleaders watching."

"Understandable."

"So... I'll see you." Before things would get even more awkward, Marti headed for the door.

"By the way," he called after her when she already had her hand on the door handle. "How was I?"

"You did not just ask me that." She stared at him incredulously.

He ignored her. "With the morning after."

"Oh. Nice going on the bike." She opened the door. "And great coffee."

###

"So, who is he?" Savannah flopped down on bed in their dorm room after practice.

"Who is who?" Marti busied herself, trying to dig up her bathrobe from the bottom of her closet.

"The whoever you hooked up with last night."

"I did not hook up. Where is this coming from?"

"Well, last night you disappeared all of a sudden and you didn't come home," Savannah continued probing.

"I... I stayed at my mom's place." Marti knew she was swimming but maybe her roommate would let it go if she remained monosyllabic.

"No, you didn't. If you had, you would have changed your clothes." The cheerleader grinning from one ear to the other. "You hooked up." She bounced on the bed. "It's your little lawyer friend, isn't it?"

Marti snorted indelicately. "Not so little, actually."

"What?"

The blonde heaved a sigh, tossing her robe on the bed. "Look, it's not Morgan, okay?"

"It's not? Then who is..." Savannah stopped. Her mouth fell open as it dawned on her. "I know who it is. It's your..."

"Don't say it."

"It's your professor."

"Geez, Savannah, thanks for not saying it."

"Of course, it makes perfect sense," Savannah said more to herself than to her roommate. "He was giving you these looks all the time and then you danced together..."

"Can you not recap, please?"

"Okay, okay," she held up her hands in defiance. A grin spread on her face. "So, how was it?"

"Yeah, I'm not going to recap either."

"But, he's your teacher," Savannah stated the obvious.

"I know." Marti threw her hands up. "Hold the judgment."

"I'm not judging. This is a judgment-free zone." She remained quiet for a moment. "So how was it?"

With a sigh, Marti slumped down on her bed, knowing that this conversation was inevitable now. "It was... great. Different."

"Different how? Does he know some weird tricks?"

Marti frowned at her. "Who are you and what did you do to my roommate?"

"What? Can't I live vicariously through your debauched sex life?"

"I don't have a..." Marti's shoulders sagged. "Listen. I don't know what this is. Or if it is anything at all. It just... happened and I haven't had time to even think about it. And I would really appreciate it if you didn't say a word. To anyone."

"Count on it. My lips are sealed." Savannah made the accompanying motion.

"Thanks. Now I really need a shower. Didn't have time to do take one before class."

"I wonder why," Savannah teased.

"You're free to shut up at any time." Marti picked up her robe and toiletry bag.

"So how was it?"

Marti was already halfway out the door. "The coffee was _amazing_."

###

The next day, Julian came home to find Marti sitting on his doorstep.

"Hey," she greeted him with a little nervous smile.

"Marti," he replied with a nod, fishing his keys from his pocket.

A beat passed in awkward silence.

"I came to return this." She held up the thermos cup he had left by the bed the day before.

He took it from her and as their fingers touched, gooseflesh rippled up her arm and she pulled her hand back as if burned.

"Thanks." He walked past her and unlocked the door. "Do you want to come in?"

Marti rose and turned to him, hands stashed into the back pockets of her pants. She shifted from one leg to the other, hesitating.

"Have you had dinner yet?" Julian asked when she didn't respond.

"Ehm, no." She frowned, slightly confused. "You're not... asking me out, are you?" She smiled nervously, suddenly very unsure what she was doing here in the first place.

He smiled at that, obviously amused by her nervousness. "No. Actually, I was asking you in." He pushed the door open, dropping his briefcase on the small table in the hall. "I cook and we talk."

"You cook?"

"Why is everybody so surprised when I say that?"

She grinned at his indignation. Then she nodded. "Sounds good." She walked up the stairs to the door, looking up at him with a smirk. "If you promise not to seduce me this time."

He matched her expression, blocking her way with one arm propped against the door frame. "I'm a brilliant litigator and a fairly good cook. But there is only so much I can do."

"Good thing you're humble, too." She ducked beneath his arm and went inside, turning halfway down the hall on her way to the kitchen. "So, professor, what's for dinner?"

_fin_


End file.
